Flight crew on pdx SID allegedly erred in using pdx VOR.

Attributes
ACN	132765
Time
Date	199001
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pdx tower : sbn
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 68 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	132765
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon departure, portland departure issued a vector to a heading of 350 degree (left turn), at 11 DME. We were departing on a published SID utilizing the pdx VOR and thought that the turn was to begin at 11 DME off the pdx VOR, which we did. Departure then said that the turn was to begin at the 11 DME off the battle ground VOR. Since we were already well into the turn, we continued it. Apparently this was a noise abatement procedure but was unknown to us until this time. Had a notation been published on the SID stating 'expect a left turn at the battle ground VOR for noise abatement' we would have not erred in this departure procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW ON PDX SID ALLEGEDLY ERRED IN USING PDX VOR.

Narrative: UPON DEP, PORTLAND DEP ISSUED A VECTOR TO A HDG OF 350 DEG (LEFT TURN), AT 11 DME. WE WERE DEPARTING ON A PUBLISHED SID UTILIZING THE PDX VOR AND THOUGHT THAT THE TURN WAS TO BEGIN AT 11 DME OFF THE PDX VOR, WHICH WE DID. DEP THEN SAID THAT THE TURN WAS TO BEGIN AT THE 11 DME OFF THE BATTLE GND VOR. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY WELL INTO THE TURN, WE CONTINUED IT. APPARENTLY THIS WAS A NOISE ABATEMENT PROC BUT WAS UNKNOWN TO US UNTIL THIS TIME. HAD A NOTATION BEEN PUBLISHED ON THE SID STATING 'EXPECT A LEFT TURN AT THE BATTLE GND VOR FOR NOISE ABATEMENT' WE WOULD HAVE NOT ERRED IN THIS DEP PROC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.